Cody Rhodes has, once again, proven his worth in the ever-evolving realm of professional wrestling.
During the recently held Premium Lime Event, WWE Payback, which took place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rhodes shocked many by emerging as the top seller in individual talent merchandise, surpassing even the living legend, John Cena, who managed to claim the second spot. L.A. Knight, whose popularity has been surging lately, secured the third spot.
It’s worth noting that Rhodes’ victory in the merchandise domain is not a small feat. Cena, historically, has been a staple when it comes to merchandise sales, especially after the release of new items. To add to the intrigue, Cena had recently released new merchandise ahead of his much-anticipated return and was announced as the guest host at Payback. To put simply, Rhodes’ merchandise saw an overwhelming demand despite all the efforts to put John Cena over.
Fightful Select provided the details about the merchandise sales, highlighting that, as usual, generic WWE merchandise, such as WWE-branded shirts, Payback-branded items, Money in the Bank briefcases, and the coveted championship title belts, dominated the sales. These generic items usually outsell individual talent merchandise due to their sheer volume and broader appeal. To put things in perspective, the sale of a single championship title can rival that of several superstar shirts.
At Payback, not only did Rhodes shine through his merchandise sales, but he also made a mark in the ring. He was part of The Grayson Waller Effect talk show segment, where he unveiled a surprise. Jimmy Uso, in a self-orchastrated move to bring the other-half of The Usos to Monday Night RAW. Meanwhile, Cena donned the hat of a special guest referee for L.A. Knight’s bout against The Miz. After a gripping contest, Knight emerged victorious, with Cena acknowledging his prowess at the entrance stage post-match.
Away from the buzz of Payback, it’s intriguing to see how merchandise sales influence decisions in the wrestling world. Historically, those wrestlers who pull in significant revenue through merchandise tend to get a brighter spotlight when it comes to match bookings and storyline development. Thus, Rhodes’ current accomplishment solidified his place within the WWE ranks.
Cody Rhodes has made headlines ever since coming back to the WWE in early 2022. His tumultuous journey, including a real-life injury shortly after his return, and a controversial loss against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, have painted him as the ultimate underdog and the face of the business. However, many feel like Rhodes’ storyline is starting to run its course, and the WWE should let him finish his story already.
Rhodes has made it clear he’ll settle for nothing but winning the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, leaving the World Heavyweight Championship to someone else, presumably LA Knight and maybe even Jey Uso.
With Rhodes’ feud against Brock Lesnar now firmly behind him and The Beast Incarnate “acknowledging” The American Nightmare in a non-scripted moment, all that’s left for now is to wait and see what else the WWE has in store for its top-billing superstar at the moment.
